Vocations

Vocations

Vocations

Everyone has a vocation…what’s yours? Whether you’re called to priesthood, religious life, sacred married life, or sacred single life, God has a plan for you. At St. John’s we support outreach directed at helping people discern their call in life.

The word vocation comes from the Latin word vocare, which is a verb that means ‘to call’. In simplest terms, a vocation could also be called a ‘calling.’ Every person has a primary call to holiness. As Catholics, whatever our state in life, our first goal should be to live a holy life. How we carry that out is our particular vocation.

Your particular vocation is different than a job. A job, or even a career, is something that you may take time off from, change from one company to another, or even change altogether. A vocation is God’s call for how he wants you to serve Him and His Church for your entire life.

Adapted in part from To Save a Thousand Souls, by Rev. Brett Brannen.

Our Primary Vocation Is To Be A SaintThe first vocation of every baptized person is to become a saint. While that may seem daunting, the good news is that this vocation does not require any discernment. The Church and Sacred Scripture both tell us clearly and definitively that holiness is everyone’s primary vocation.”

Our Particular or Secondary VocationThe secondary [or particular] vocation refers to the particular state of life in which we are called to fulfill our primary vocation to holiness. This particular vocation normally will have the following characteristics:

It has been pre-determined or pre-destined by God

It involves permanent commitment

It involves sacrificing oneself to serve God and others

It is recognized by the Church as a vocation

Its purpose is to help others get to heaven.

Particular Vocations for Catholic Men

Holy Marriage

Holy Orders (Priesthood, Diaconate)

Religious Life (Religious Priest or Brother)

Generous Single Life in Christ

Particular Vocations for Catholic Women

Holy Marriage

Religious Life (Religious Nun or Sister)

Generous Single Life in Christ

Vocation vs. Occupation“You will have noticed that professions such as teacher, missionary, nurse, artist, builder, writer, or musician were not mentioned in the above [lists] of one’s secondary or particular vocation. I call these occupations rather than vocations. I know that God has called and given gifts to many people so they can excel in certain fields, professions or occupations. Obviously, some people have tremendous gifts as musicians, for example, and they use these gifts to glorify God. But these musically talented individuals are still first and foremost called to one of the four states of life.”-Quote from Fr. Brett A. Brannen in To Save A Thousand Souls; A Guide for Discerning A Vocation to the Diocesan Priesthood, Vianney Vocations, 2010.

Pope John Paul II on Vocations“I would like to ask each of you: What will you do with your life? What are your plans? Have you ever thought of committing your existence totally to Christ? Do you think that there can be anything greater than to bring Jesus to people and people to Jesus?”“You are at the great crossroads of your lives and you must decide how your future can be lived happily, accepting the responsibilities which you hope will be placed squarely on your shoulders, playing an active role in the world around you. You ask me for encouragement and guidance, and most willingly I offer some words of advice to all of you in the name of Jesus Christ. In the first place I say this: you must never think that you are alone in deciding your future! And second: when deciding your future, you must not decide for yourself alone.”“He [Jesus] has chosen you in a mysterious but real way to make you saviors with him and like him. Yes, Christ calls you, but he calls you in truth. His call is demanding, because he invites you to let yourselves be ‘captured’ by him completely, so that your whole lives will be seen in a different light. Let yourselves be seized by Jesus and try to live just for him!”“Every vocation is part of a divine plan. This means that in God’s creative initiative there enters a particular act of love for those called not only to salvation, but also to the ministry of salvation. Therefore from all eternity, since we began to exist in the plans of the Creator, and he willed us to be creatures, he also willed us to be ‘called,’ preparing in us the gifts and conditions for the personal, conscious, and opportune response to the call of Christ and of the Church. God who loves us, who is Love, is also ‘He who calls’ (Rom 9:11).”-Pope John Paul II quotes from The Meaning of Vocation: In the Words of John Paul II, Scepter, 1997.